If there was a Best Hair Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, we'd have to present the Moonman to Jared Leto.
The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman made a head-turning appearance on the red carpet with the most amazing ombré hairstyle we've seen in a long time. (Sorry, Rachel Bilson.) It was shiny, sexy and surprisingly thick for a star whose experimented with just about every hair color. And it was enough to cause a stir on Twitter, as beauty insiders and fans gushed over its utter perfection. (See: here, here and here.)
Naturally we couldn't contain our excitement when celebrity hairstylist Chase Kusero, the mane man behind Leto's ombre hairstyle, shared with us his styling secrets. (Hat tip to celebrity hairstylist Aaron Grenia for adding the finishing touches to this 'do.)
"Jared is the definition of a superstar. He's also naturally cool. The inspiration for this look came months ago when we decided that the classic idea of a rock star didn't really exist anymore," said Kusero. "Fusing modern punk-grunge style with iconic uncut long hair and bleached painted ends is exactly what was right to accept the VMA for Best Rock Video this year."
Leto's shoulder-length strands boast a shape where the interior is really long. "Over-layered hair at this length looks outdated on men and women," explained Kusero. And the stylist used a a hand-painted technique to achieve this ombre look. Keeping the roots natural, sections of hair are picked out and lightened in different phases to create a more custom melted effect.
Below, the five steps to Leto's rockin Video Music Awards hair:
1. Start with clean, freshly washed and conditioned hair using L'Oreal Mythic Oil Shampoo and Conditioner.
2. Apply a generous amount of L'Oreal Mythic Oil mixed with Redken Radiant Sea Spray to damp hair from mid shaft to ends. Add a second application of product as you work towards the ends.
3. Find the natural part, then dry big sections with a Mason Pearson Brush only flattening the bottom while leaving roots and mid shaft to dry naturally as you work through the ends. Tousle dry roots on high heat and low speed if needed to ensure hair is 100 percent dry.
4. Take 10-15 random sized sections of hair and apply heat from a flat iron to bend pieces into place. This will lock in a natural undone wave that borders beachy and grunge.
5. Add Mythic Oil to the ends and mist the entire look with Redken Fashion Work Spray.
More red carpet style from the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards:
2013 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet Arrivals
Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)
---
Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)